A Crystal Flower
P.s. This prologue is a lot shorter than my usual prologues. Prologue The swirling water slipped by the she-cat's paws, almost pushing her over. The river had burst it's banks and StreamClan was being forced to abandon camp, though some had refused to leave. It was the she-cat's job to make sure everyone left the camp. Half running, half swimming, she hauled herself over to a den she barely recognised. It was basically in pieces. Peering inside the she-cat realised the den had been the nursery. There was a pretty silver tabby resting in a nest near the back, looking as though she had no idea what was happening. There was one kit at her belly which was squirming and wailing in alarm. The she-cat rushed over to the nest and sniffed the queen. The cat was dead. Gasping the terrified kit in her jaws, the she-cat scrambled out of the den, plunging into the rising water. Rain pounded down and thunder rocked the skies and the kit squeaked. The she-cat hurried up the steep cliff edge where the rest of the Clan was waiting up the top. She was greeted with nervous mews. "Bluecrystal! Is this kit the only cat you found? What about her mother?" Asked a ragged furred brown tabby, who looked as though he had been struck by lightning. Bluecrystal put the kit down in between her paws and responded, "her mother is dead. I saw her body." The tom let out a wail of grief before snatching the kit from Bluecrystal and carrying it over to a little covered area under a tree, where he began to lick the kit to get it warm. "You saved the kit's life, we are all very thankful. A loss to two is a loss to all." It was a handsome grey striped tom who spoke, a purr rumbling in his throat as he and Bluecrystal touched noses. "No problem," she replied. "I wouldn't have left the poor thing for death." The ragged looking tom stomped over, having left the kit under the tree, where it was shivering. "Keep her," he growled. "I don't want her. She looks too much like Rushpelt." Bluecrystal glared at the ragged tom before hissing, "she's your kit Jaggedscar, you can't forget that. She'll always be a part of you, whether you like it or not." With a growl, Bluecrystal bounded over to the kit and curled herself around it, the grey striped tom on her tail. "We should name her," the tom said. Bluecrystal nodded. "What about Crystalkit?" The tom purred. "Lovely." Chapter 1 "What a mess." Sad murmurs spread through the Clan as they entered their destroyed camp. Dens were ripped apart and their paws sank into the mud. Bluecrystal sniffed a log and tears shimmered in her eyes. Crystalkit was confused. Why was her mother sad? The tiny she-kit scrambled after her mother through the thick layers of mud, her fur stained brown. Crystalkit had did not remember this place, she had been raised her whole life of three moons out in a small forest. This made her even more confused. Why leave the forest? Was there something wrong with it? Crystalkit did not dare to ask the bigger cats questions, as they often threatened to claw her ears off. The only cat that tolerated her constant questions was Bluecrystal, who never really answered. "Do you want me to carry you?" Crystalkit looked up and saw a friendly apprentice's face looking down at her. "Yes please Rookpaw!" The musky brown tom gras her gently in his jaws and carried her along. Some of the older warriors were sitting themselves down at particular spots, like Bluecrystal had sat herself down at the log she had been sniffing. "This camp looked a lot better before she was born," hissed one of the warriors loud enough for Crystalkit to hear. It was Lizardripple. Her glared at Crystalkit and Rookpaw returned the glare, stomping past, Crytalkit swinging in his jaws. "Slow down!" She squealed at him and the apprentice slowed. "Lizardripple is unbelievable!" Rookpaw mumbled around Crystalkit's matted fur. "He is indeed." Crystalkit squirmed her way out of Rookpaw's jaws and scrambled over towards a grey tom, who looked at her lovingly. "Papa!" She squealed, nuzzling him. "Move out of my way, Crystalkit," he ordered light heartedly. "I need to go help everyone. I've been busy looking for Tumblestar." The illusive StreamClan leader had been absent through the flood, supposedly on a quest, but he still hadn't returned. Crystalkit didn't really understand what Tumblestar was meant to do, Jaggedscar had lead them all for a few moons now, but didn't have star ''at the end of his name, like Crystalkit had been told, he was leading until Tumblestar got back. "I still don't understand what will happen with Jaggedscar," she squeaked. "Because when Tumblestar gets back, Jaggedscar will have nothing to do." Rookpaw snorted. "Yes he will! He's continue on as deputy!" ''Deputy? What's a deputy? '' Crystalkit had been poorly educated in Clan life, the only bits she understood were that a Clan looked after each other and the cats had different roles. She just didn't know what those roles were. "Anyway, as I was saying, go have some fun in the mud Crystalkit, I have to help everyone." Crystalkit, disheartened now, stepped away from her father and let him pad past and help the other warriors. No one seemed to have time for her anymore. At the forest, Crystalkit had always had all the attention, she had always been spoiled by everyone. This was '''really '''different. "Do you have to go help as well?" She asked Rookpaw bitterly, who looked at her with sympathy. "I do. My mentor called me over just before." "What's a-" "I'll explain later," Rookpaw promised before streaking through the mud layered grounds towards a muscular brown and white speckled tom who was pushing fallen tree branches away. ''Why do that when tree branches offer shelter? Crystalkit struggled her way over a rock which she scrambled on top of and looked out over camp. There were many cats, more than she usually saw, doing a lot of work, including her parents. She had never thought this way before, but she felt... Bored. There was nothing she was allowed to do unless it required playing. She understood now why the bigger cats scowled at her. She got in their way. She annoyed them. She called for them. She knew now why she was stuck on this rock, doing nothing even though she wanted to help. For some reason her playmates, Featherkit and Canopykit and the their mother, Tealeye, had stayed up in the forest and from what Crystalkit had heard, weren't coming down until Tumblestar got back. That was annoying. Now she was left alone, rejected and bored. Well, not rejected, more like told to help by not helping. Rejection and that were the same thing to her. Usually her mother and father would play with her, but they were busy. It was irritating. Plunging back down into the mud, Crystalkit stomped her way over to the big cats and hissed at one, "tell my mum and dad that I've gone for Canopykit and Featherkit." The big cat licked her ear affectionately. "Of course, little one. Go for your life." --------------------------------- Crystalkit was now bounding through dense trees, occasionally getting trapped in a bramble thicket. She was determined to have something to do, someone to talk to, someone to play with instead of waiting on that rock for her mother and father to come and take her to a sleeping place. Crystalkit sniffed a tree and she smelled the scent of a young kit. With a little skip of excitement she kept on padding on, sniffing trees to pick up scents again. "Oi! Canopypaw, I think I found something!" Crystalkit froze and scurried under a bramble thicket. Too late. Firm jaws grasped her and she was carried over to a hollowed out tree where she was put down inside. I know the voices. "Featherkit! It's me! Crystalkit!" The light grey cat spun around, his eyes narrowed. "Yes, I knew that. But I'm busy. And it's Feather''paw''." Crystalkit reached out with a paw but Featherpaw had already left the den. They've grown out of playing. What am I supposed to do now? Run away? '' "Sorry about Featherpaw, he's been in a temper ever since Tumblestar found us." ''Wait...Tumblestar? "Tumblestar is here?" She squealed. She realised the cat speaking to her was Canopypaw and he grinned at her. "Yep. He made me and my oh so annoying brother apprentices." That was the only role Crystalkit understood. Apprentices. They're not kits anymore. No more playing. "Are you coming to the camp?" Canopypaw hesitated. "Me, Tumblestar and Featherpaw are, but Tealeye is leaving the Clan. She wants to be a kittypet. The flood affected her greatly and she wants a safer life." Crystalkit made a face. She knew quite a bit about kittypets, having met one, and she hated their lifestyle. "It's her choice. But I sure will miss her." "Look what we have here. Rushpelt and Jaggedscar must be proud." Crystalkit and Canopypaw turned around and met the kind blue eyes of a huge black and brown speckled tom. Whose Rushpelt? Crystalkit somehow knew the new cat was Tumblestar, but who was Rushpelt? "Your mother must treat you lovingly. Your looks are of Rushpelt's." There was the name again. TBC